WonderCon 2024: Interview with Author SG Blaise

I sat down with author S.G. Blaise to talk about her writing, her books, and her being at WonderCon.

“It’s about Star Wars meets Lord of the Rings meets Princess Bride.” So says Blaise with her elevator pitch as to the plot of her series, The Last Lumenian.

This book series follows a 19-year-old rebel, Princess Lilla, who must defeat the Archgod of Chaos and Destruction. “And that’s just book one,” Blaise said.

The booth itself was a fully interactive journey into the world of her books. Not only are there props and a video introducing the series, there are regular scenes (what they call ‘activations’) where actors in costume act out scenes from the book.

“This booth is a rebel ship that landed on Uhna, which is our first scene where the first book takes place,” Blaise said. “It’s an immersive experience for anyone who stops by.” She of course is signing while she’s there, and giving away copies of the first book in the series. “We love bringing character actors who showcase the major characters every reader will meet.”

Born in Hungary, Blaise journeyed to California for love – and ended up writing and self-publishing her series. “I got the idea from a dream in 2012 during a cross-country road trip through Europe,” she said. She now has four books, with a fifth coming out this December.

Blaise wouldn’t tell me the title – or much about the plot – but said, “Lots of twists and turns. It’s action adventure.” She also mentioned that readers of her newsletter will get a first look at the book when it is released.

We talked a little about her writing. When asked whether she is a plotter or pantser (writing by the seat of her pants), she said, “I’m 100% plotter. I tried pantsing and got lost and I lost a year.” She spends three to four months planning the book, and then writes it in 30 days.

She tries to write three to four times a week, in eight-hour minimum blocks. “I love writing cinematically with rich world-building and diverse characters.”

Being an immigrant, Blaise admitted she didn’t speak a word of English when she came over. She learned the language and took another six years to learn how to write a book.

“When the first book was published, that’s when it really hit me that I’m doing something that’s not a hobby,” she said. “It’s something serious. I’m always striving to publish one book a year, so my readers don’t have to wait too long between the books.”

“I spent the whole year developing it: you know, the editing and the website, and then COVID hit. Everyone thought I was crazy publishing a book in 2020, but I knew I had to put it out so I can have that move-forward momentum and it was a goosebump-inducing feeling. I couldn’t believe it. The most amazing feeling outside of having my family.”

Blaise’s least favorite part of writing? “There is none. I love every single thing about writing: the challenge, the obstacles, the Easter eggs, creating a plot that’s new. Obviously, there’s nothing new under the sun, but putting a twist on the genres. I always combine sci-fi with fantasy, and then at least one more genre like thriller or detective or a little bit of romance. So always different from book to book.”

I asked her if she had a favorite character, and she’s quick to joke, “I have a lot of favorite characters. I always say the current book’s hero is my favorite character.”

You can find out more about S.G. Blaise and her books on her website.

See all our coverage of WonderCon 2024 here. 

Author: Angie Fiedler Sutton

Angie Fiedler Sutton is a writer, podcaster, and all-round fangirl geek. She has been published in Den of Geek, Stage Directions, LA Weekly, The Mary Sue, and others.

She also produces her own podcast, Contents May Vary, where she interviews geeky people about geeky things. You can see all her work (and social media channels) at angiefsutton.com.

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